Using the new operating system (iOS7) on the iPad

Technology – it changes ALL the time. Something we love and yet it can be, at times, completely frustrating. Like take the recent release of iOS 7. The new look and feel was different and the “old” way of doing some tasks, like closing programs or locking the screen orientation, was gone and not easily found. Hence this post – listing five essential operating system built-ins that will help you use the iPad more practically.

This video (6:19 min) reviews: the notification center, spotlight search, the control center, how to close apps that are already open (to extend your battery life), and how to resize text for our aging eyes. These five features of the new operating system will help you get on to other tasks quickly and easily.

Or, here are the features quickly explained:

1) To access the Notification Center, do a one finger swipe from the very top of your iPad down your screen. This will “pull” down a new screen, listing upcoming appointments, the weather, and app notifications.

To close the Notification Center, push up from the bottom of the notification screen with one finger.

2) To access the Spotlight Search, do a one finger swipe near the top of your iPad screen quickly down halfway. Your cursor will be flashing in your searching bar. As you type, the operating system will quickly scan your mail, notes, reminders, and music and present related items in a list below.

To close the Spotlight Search, tap once on the background image of your iPad.

3) To quickly access your music playback controls, volume, and other key features, open the Control Center.

To open the Control Center, using one finger, swipe from the bottom of the iPad screen quickly halfway up the screen. In the gray rectangular box that appears, you will find your music playback buttons on the left, and the volume slider below that. In the middle, you will see icons for Airplane Mode, Wifi, Bluetooth, and Screen Orientation Lock (very useful!). To the right, you may see icons to launch your clock and camera. And below that, in the right hand corner, is the brightness slider, in case you need to adjust the brightness.

4) To see which apps are running in the background, do a four finger swipe quickly upwards. Then with one finger, swipe from right to left to horizontally scroll through everything that is open.

To close any app, “flick” the app icon upwards and off the screen. By “flick”, I mean tap and swipe quickly upwards in an off the screen motion.

To switch between open apps, do the four finger swipe upwards and scroll to the app you want to go to. Tap in the middle of that app with one finger to maximize that screen.

5) To resize text, from your Home Screen, tap on Settings. Tap General from the left window. Tap Text Size from the middle of that screen (approx. 5th option from the top). Using the slider, adjust the text size smaller or larger.

Remember to review the settings for the Notification Center and the Control Center. From your Home Screen, go to Settings and you’ll see these features listed near the top on the left hand side.

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers, Susan

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Susan Wheeler

I love to provide technology skills training and help in the workplace. There are so many wonderful tools and resources available to you so if you are not sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place.
View all posts by Susan Wheeler

Hi Liane! First make sure that your iPad is set up to allow the four finger swipe. Go to your settings, click General on the left side, and then turn on Multitasking Gestures.

Then when you swipe, use your four fingers starting with your index finger (I find it easiest to use all fingers except thumb). Place all four on the screen at the same time and in one motion, swipe all four up.